When you title a product supreme, whether a movie or donuts, you had better deliver.

“Marty Supreme,” a movie about the competitive world of ping-pong, delivers.

You may never look at a ping-pong ball or think of table tennis in the same way again.

“Marty Supreme” delivers on several scores. It’s relentlessly entertaining. It’s grimly humorous. It’s touchingly romantic.

“Marty Supreme” is loosely based on Marty Reisman (1930-2012; U.S. Men’s table tennis singles champion 1958, 1960; 22 major table tennis titles, 1946-2002; writer, memoir, “The Money Player; The Confessions of America’s Greatest Table Tennis Player and Hustler,” 1974).

The film depicts Marty performing at Harlem Globetrotters’ basketball games. That apparently really happened.

The story, set in 1952, takes Marty from the pool-hall style hustle of New York City to a glitzy international challenge game in Tokyo, Japan.

Marty Mauser, the character name in “Marty Supreme,” is played with brilliant delight by Timothée Chalamet, whose staccato speaking style echoes the rhythm of the ping-pong ball thwack on paddle and table. If Marty is Bugs Bunny, the world is his Elmer Fudd.

Marty is not a likable character. He’s despicable. Chalamet’s natural charm makes Marty, if not likable, at the very least intriguing, compelling and worthy of forgiveness and redemption.

You’ve heard the quip about “Believe that and I’ll sell you the Brooklyn Bridge”? (attributed to con man George C. Parker, 1860-1937). Marty, you would believe.

This is another Oscar-nominee worthy performance by Timothée Chalamet (two-time Oscar nominee, actor: “A Complete Unknown,” 2025, and “Call Me by Your Name,” 2018. He was also in “Dune,” 2024, 2021, and “Wonka,” 2023).

Gwyneth Paltrow (Kay Stone) is magnificent, brave and fierce as a fading Hollywood star trying to maintain her dignity. It’s great to see Paltrow (Oscar, actress, “Shakespeare in Love,” 1999) back on the big screen. She has the presence of a classic screen actress. She deserves a supporting actress Oscar nomination.

Odessa A’zion (“Hellraiser” 2022; TV’s “I Love LA,” 2025; “Grand Army,” 2020; “Fam,” 2019) is in a breakout role as Rachel Mizler, a vulnerable but strong young woman. A’zion is a revelation. She deserves a supporting actress Oscar nomination.

The film has a fantastic cast of supporting actors, including Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, Fran Drescher, Sandra Bernhard, Penn Jillette, Isaac Mizrahi, David Mamet, Philippe Petit, Géza Röhrig and Koto Kawaguchi.

“Marty Supreme” director Josh Safdie (Primetime Emmy Awards winner, documentary, “Pee-wee as Himself,” 2025; co-director with brother Benny Safdie, “Uncut Gems,” 2019; “Good Time,” 2017; “Heaven Knows What,” 2014; “Daddy Longlegs,” 2009) co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bronstein (Primetime Emmy Awards, winner, documentary, “Pee-wee as Himself”; screenwriter: “Uncut Gems,” “Good Time,” “Heaven Knows What,” “Daddy Longlegs”).

Josh Safdie is a fearless film-maker. Just when you think he won’t go there, he does. Look for a director Oscar nomination.

Cinematographer Darius Khondji (Oscar nominee, cinematography, “Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths,” 2023; “Evita,” 1997; also, cinematographer, “Uncut Gems”) shot the film in 35 mm. The film has a gritty 1970s’ movie look.

Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein edited “Marty Supreme.” Vigorously.

Production designer Jack Fisk (Oscar nominee, production design, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” 2024; “The Revenant,” 2016; “There Will Be Blood,” 2008) recreates a New York of memory.

Daniel Lopatin (“Uncut Gems,” “Good Time”) composed the jagged, disconcerting and intense score.

It’s interesting that the Safdie brothers chose sports topics for their recent solo film projects.

Benny Safdie directed Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to acclaim as Mixed Martial Arts fighter Mark Kerr in “The Smashing Machine” (2025).

You could have a Safdie brothers’ double feature with “The Smashing Machine” and “Marty Supreme.”

Solo or together, the Safdie brothers are film-makers supreme.

You might not think that a movie with table-tennis as a theme would be that interesting. On the contrary, “Marty Supreme” is an amazing tour de force of cinema. It’s rousing, wildly entertaining and thought-provoking.

“Marty Supreme” has the colorful characters and often shocking plot twists of the New York City area themed cinema of legendary film director Martin Scorsese (“Mean Streets,” 1973; “Taxi Driver,” 1976; “The Color of Money,” 1986, and “Goodfellas,” 1990).

There’s a Scorsese style of cinema. There’s now a Safdie style of cinema: intense, hyper-realistic, messy, in-your-face, seemingly cynical, but in the final frames, as with “Marty Supreme,” sweetly sentimental.

“Marty Supreme” is cinema supreme. Don’t miss it.

“Marty Supreme,” MPA rated R (Restricted. Persons under 17 require an accompanying parent or adult guardian) for language throughout, sexual content, some violent content, bloody images and nudity; Genre: Sport Drama; Run time: 2 hours, 29 minutes. Distributed by A24.

Credit Readers Anonymous: “Marty Supreme” was filmed September to December 2024 in New York City, and Chesterfield, N.J., and in February 2025 in Japan. Planning for the film began in 2018 when Timothée Chalamet was announced for the title role. He trained for years at table tennis and was coached by Diego Schaaf and former American Olympian Wei Wang.

At The Movies: “Marty Supreme” was seem in the standard digital format at AMC Center Valley 16.

Theatrical Movies Domestic Weekend Box Office, Jan. 16-18: “Avatar: Fire and Ash” continued at No. 1 for five weeks in a row, $13.3 million in 3,300 theaters, $363.5 million. 2. “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple,” with Nia DaCosta directing Ralph Fiennes in the fourth film in the “28 Days Later” franchise, $13 million in 3,506 theaters, opening. 3. “Zootopia 2” moved up one place, $8.7 million in 3,100 theaters, $390 million, 8 weeks. 4. “The Housemaid” dropped one place, $8.5 million in 3,101 theaters, $107.4 million, five weeks. 5. “Marty Supreme” moved up one place, $5.4 million in 2,027 theaters, $79.6 million, five weeks. 6. “Primate” dropped four places, $5 million in 2,964 theaters, $19.5 million, two weeks. 7. “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” $3.4 million in 1,686 theaters, re-release. 8. “Greenland 2: Migration” dropped three places, $3.3 million in 2,718 theaters, opening, $14.1 million, two weeks. 9. “Anaconda” dropped two places, $3.2 million in 2,424 theaters, $59 million, four weeks. 10. “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants” dropped two places, $2.3 million in 1,939 theaters, $67.1 million, five weeks.

Movie box office information from Box Office Mojo as of Jan. 18 is subject to change.

Theatrical Movies Domestic Weekend Box Office, Jan. 16-17: Unreel, Jan. 23:

“Mercy,” PG-13; 1 hour, 40 minutes. Timur Bekmambetov directs Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Annabelle Wallis, Kali Reis and Kylie Rogers in the Science-Fiction Thriller. In Los Angeles in 2029, a detective is on trial, accused of murdering his wife. He must prove his innocence in 90 minutes to Artificial Intelligence judge he once backed before it determines his fate.

“H Is for Hawk,” PG-13; 1 hour, 54 minutes. Philippa Lowthorpe directs Claire Foy, Brendan Gleeson, Denise Gough, Sam Spruell and Lindsay Duncan in the Docudrama. It’s based on the 2014 memoir by Helen MacDonald, who took care of a Goshawk after her father died.

Movie opening dates from Internet Movie Database as of Jan. 18 are subject to change.

Four Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes